Actor. Best remembered for his TV roles as Oscar Madison in "The Odd Couple" (1970 to 1975) and as Dr. Quincy in "Quincy, M.E." (1976 to 1983). Born Jacob Joachim Klugman into a Jewish family, he was raised in South Philadelphia. After coming to the realization that he wanted to pursue a career as a performer, he studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh and later was trained at the American Theater Wing in New York. Following service with the United States Army during World War II, he acquired experience on such off-Broadway productions as "Stevedore" (1949) and "Mister Roberts" (1950 to 1951), prior to marking his Broadway initiation in "Golden Boy". His film debut was in the picture "Time Table" (1956) after already accumulating an impressive body of live TV credits. What may perhaps be his most accomplished role in films was his playing of Juror Number 5 in Henry Fonda's tension-filled drama "Twelve Angry Men" (1957). Klugman would appear multiple times in the classic TV series "The Twilight Zone" which included a marvelous performance opposite Jonathan Winters in a 1961 episode titled "A Game of Pool". Additionally, he received an Emmy Award for a guest spot performance in the series "The Defenders" (1961). More supporting film roles followed with "Cry Terror" (1958), "Gypsy" (1959), "The Days of Wine and Roses" (1962), "The Detective" (1968) and "Goodbye, Columbus" (1969). Klugman whom replaced Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison in Neil Simon's Broadway play "The Odd Couple" (1965) was tapped to play the career-changing part in the television adaptation for which co-starred Tony Randall. Their pairing proved magical and for his efforts, Klugman earned multiple Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In contrast to playing the comical Oscar Madison, Klugman's creation of the Dr. Quincy character proved his versatility as an actor for which he received additional Emmy Award nominations. After the short-lived TV series "You Again? (1986 to 1987, which co- starred John Stamos) was cancelled, Klugman (a longtime smoker) developed throat cancer which destroyed his vocal cords reducing his voice to a virtual whisper. He continued his acting career and reunited with Tony Randall once again for an updated "Odd Couple" TV-Movie in 1993. Klugman was also known for his numerous appearances on TV game shows including "Password", as well as commercials. He was formerly married to actress Brett Somers whom occasionally played his ex-wife Blanche on the "Odd Couple". He was the recipient of a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. (bio by: C.S.)